Arctic Land Expedition. 391 
‘howling was increased in proportion to the extent of the confia- 
gration. 
The expedition passed several other rapids and falls along a 
flat, woody, and swampy country, across five miles of which no 
eye could see. At length they reached the White Fall, where 
an accident took place which had nearly deprived the expedition 
of their commander. While the men were employed in carrying 
the goods and boats across the portage of the fall, Lieutenant 
Franklin walked down alone to view the rapid, the roaring of 
which could be heard at the distance of several miles. He had 
the boldness to venture along the banks with English shoes upon 
his feet, a most dangerous experiment where the banks are flint- 
stones and as smooth as glass. He was approaching the spot 
from which he could have taken the most accurate observation, 
when he slipped from the bank into the water. Fortunately the 
water into which he was precipitated was still water. Had he 
lost his footing ten yards lower down, he would have been hur- 
ried into a current which ran with amazing impetuosity over a 
precipice presenting one of the most terrific objects his eyes had 
yet fixed upon amidst all the horrors of the journey. Lieut. Frank- 
lin is an excellent swimmer, but fe had on him a sailor’s heavy 
Flushing jacket and trowsers, heavy English shoes, anda large neck- 
handkerchief, the weather having begun to set in very cold. He 
swam about for some time, and made vigorous efforts to get upon 
the bank; but he had to contend against a sinooth precipitous rock, 
and was just exhausted when two of the Company’s officers, who 
were at a short distance from the fall, looked up and saw him strug- 
gling in the water. With the assistance of their poles they raised 
him out of his perilous situation, in which he had been nearly a 
quarter of an honr. ‘The moment he reached land he fell to the 
ground, and remained without motion for some time. His power- 
ful constitution, however, soon buffeted the effects of the acci- 
dent, and he had happily only to regret the injury his chrono- 
meter, for which he had given 100 guineas, received in the water. 
After a tedious journey of forty-six days, the dangers and di- 
stresses of which rather increased than diminished as they ad- 
vanced, the expedition arrived at Cumberland, a post situate on 
the banks of a beautiful lake, and stockaded against the incur- 
sions of savages, the attacks of wolves and bears, and the more 
ferocious assaults of rival traders. 
Further particulars of the progress of the Expedition are de- 
tailed in the subjoined letter written by one of the Officers at- 
tached to it: ’ 
North America, Lat, 64. 28.N. Long. 113.4. W. 
“ The public papers have probably informed you of the arrival 
of the Northern Land Expedition in Hudson’s Bay, in Septem- 
ber 
